Sunday Snippet: Losing the Light

So far, February has been cold and snowy in Ohio. Not a complaint or anything. It's been a while since we've had snow that stuck around for longer than a day or two.

Had a fairly busy work week but I did manage to get a couple of shows watched. I started with the last two episodes of Queens of Mystery and also caught the behind the scenes and easter egg specials. I'm looking forward to another season of this show if they decide to go ahead.

I started another episode of Silent Witness and should finish it up over the next day or so. This two-parter will round out the eighth season and I'll start nine in the near future.

Caught the first episode of a new-to-me series, No Offence. Set in Manchester, I really liked the first episode. It's a bit of a dramedy which isn't usually my cuppa but I'll give this one a solid shot.

Also got another episode of Blue Heelers almost finished. This had a fun crop circle thing going on to offset a tragedy. The only thing left is the reveal of who committed a murder.

Caught my usual Ovation mysteries also. And I found a channel that's showing Poltergeist: The Legacy, which I loved when it originally aired. I really miss old-school Syfy channel sometimes. The current incarnation annoys me to the point I can't really watch it anymore. I think the freak of the week movies really ruined the entire channel for me.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Losing the Light, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Walker Garrett always does the right thing—except when it comes to Barret Danks. Barret never listens when she doesn't want to hear what's said, but Walker's ultimatum has her accepting a post on a newly terraformed planet. With him in the air and her on the ground, working out their issues doesn't seem likely … until Walker gets a call to meet with Barret's boss.

And a sneaky peek…

"How long do you think it will take for the unrest to settle down?" Barret Danks dropped down beside her current, but unpublicized, better half, Walker Garrett.

He glanced up from the pile of reports he reviewed. "With the political nature? Probably the standard two or three years." He set the files aside and brought her legs up onto his lap.

Barret flicked her gaze toward the hatch. "Is this a good idea?" They hadn't gone public about their status.

Walker shrugged. "If we're going to be here for a while, people will figure it out." His tone implied they probably had already.

His hands wrapped around one of her feet and massaged, his fingers digging into the arch. Any concern about being caught in a compromising position dissolved.

Barret groaned. "I swear you have magic in your fingers." And other parts of his anatomy.

He grinned. "It's why you keep me around, right." He used his knuckles to work over a knot.

She did what he expected and laughed, but the comment jabbed a little. To date, their relationship hovered somewhere between casual friends with benefits and exclusive almost long-term. Seriously, after working together as long as they had, he'd become her best friend. She never wanted to lose that.

She nudged her other foot closer. "You're good for lots of things but foot massages rank pretty high on the list." She grinned when he took the hint and started rubbing again.

She turned her attention to the reason they were orbiting a newly terraformed planet. The shaky political situation had the entire ship talking. Nothing like the threat of failure to make tongues wag.

Barret shifted to a sitting position. "We're going to be doing a lot of policing aren't we?" They probably wouldn't be able to help doing so.

Walker nodded. "Maybe at first. But the electoral delegates should set up a law enforcement faction within the first six months. After that, the military hangs back and usually manages engineering projects on a large scale until the infrastructure is up and running." He got up to file the reports he'd been viewing earlier.

Barret waited until he settled back beside her. "Ugh, makes my head ache." She shifted her position and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd rather eat gears than deal with all the intrigue and craziness on the planet." She had better plans for her time with Walker tonight.

He got up and held out his hand. "Sounds like you need my magic fingers somewhere else." He wagged his eyebrows.

Barret grasped his palm. "Damn, you take hints really well." They made their way to their favorite hookup spot—the training room on the lowest deck.

Barret had her shirt off and her pants halfway down before Walker had the hatch secure. When he turned, she crooked her finger and let her fatigues hit the floor. He yanked his shirt over his head and popped the button on his pants. Barret stepped away from her clothes and laughed when Walker stalked after her.

He caught up and hauled her close to his chest. "Are you aiming to misbehave?" His voice went low and smoky.

She tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "Don't I always?" Dragging her tongue along his jawline, she nipped at his lower lip.

Walker growled and caught her face between his hands "You're a wicked woman, Barret." He leaned in close.

She grinned." I know. It's one of the things you love most about me."

At least she liked to think so.

This story took a few turns I didn't expect and I'm excited to see what else the sages throw my way.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye